8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 25, 2003 Bailey leaves Cagers because of By Seth Klempner Daily Sports Writer Yesterday, junior Bernard Robinson became the sole surviving member of the Brian Ellerbe era in the Michigan basketball program. Sophomore forward Chuck Bailey announced that he was planning to transfer after this academic year. While Michigan gave no explanation for the decision, Bailey's Detroit Martin Luther King High School coach, Benny White, said that Bailey's lack of playing time was a major factor in the decision- making. "He felt he was not getting the play- ing time that he had worked to deserve, White said of a conversation the two had late last week. "He is looking to get an opportunity to play more in games, and hopefully this will do that." Bailey, who was the backup power forward behind senior captain LaVell Blanchard, saw his minutes starting to decrease when Michigan entered into conference play. Just once did he play more than 10 minutes in a game during the Big Ten season, while he received less than five minutes six times. In Michigan's final game against Indiana, Bailey did not play at all. Bailey showed great promise during his freshman campaign, in which he averaged 3.8 points and three rebounds per game. His athleticism and above-par play led the way to three starts. He aver- aged 13.6 minutes per game. But this year, while receiving only spot duty behind Blanchard, Bailey's scoring average decreased from 3.8 in nonconference play to 1.3 against Big Ten opponents. "We think a great deal of Chuck and his family," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "We wish him the best as he continues his education and playing career." White said that the decision to trans- fer was a mutual decision between the two, and that Amaker had supported him in the decision. Bailey is currently unsure of where he will transfer. White said that he is likely to look at schools that originally recruit- ed him, though he is willing to look at any school in which he could receive playing time. "He wants to go where he will get a chance to play," White said. "But he does not want a long, drawn out recruit- ment process like he had in high school." a ying time Central Michigan, Marquette, Toledo, Detroit-Mercy and Oakland were among the list of schools that recruited Bailey while in high school when he was a member of the Class-A All-State team. The Detroit native was the only soph- omore member of the team in the rota- tion after guard Dommanic Ingerson transferred to San Francisco last Decem- ber. Bailey becomes the third player to leave the program during Amaker's sec- ond year as coach at Michigan. Junior Avery Queen, who is currently a mem- ber of Division II Southern Indiana's basketball team, was dismissed for vio- lated team rules in November. Bailey's scholarship will not be made available until the 2004 recruiting class, due to NCAA rules which restrict the number of recruits in a two-year period to nine. Myfriend is wrong; Cornell is touch able 0 TONY DING/Daily Chuck Bailey's decline In playing time has caused him to look at other schools. __----- , r a _a r ---_._ DAVID HORN Tooting my own 6 don't think anybody's gonna touch us." That statement by a friend of mine from Cornell was a catalyst for me. I was preparing to ignore the forthcoming Frozen Four, because, well, I don't trust the Maize and Blue to get the job done. They've been so close so many years in my Michigan career, but have fallen short each time. I am always hesitant to invest my heart in a hockey team that has a history of near misses. I came to Michigan on the heels of a national championship in football, and two out of three championships in hockey. I, of course, expected to be dancing naked at the President's house on South University a half dozen times before I left Ann Arbor. As it hap- pened, I did so just once - and it was due to a bad reaction to a bottle of tequila, not a national championship for the Wolverines. On one occasion - the one occa- sion - in my four years that a Michigan team won a national cham- pionship (field hockey, 2001) I spent the night at the Daily, trying to fig- ure out the first goddamn thing about field hockey. A national championship in ice hock- ey, however, would be a very different story. And my friend's confidence in The Big Red was enough to fire up my competitive spirit and evaluate the com- petition for Jed Ortmeyer and Co. Ohio State, Boston College, Cornell and MSU-Mankato will play in the East Regional, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence. That sucks that there's a Dunkin' Donuts Center some- where in the world and I've never been there- But if their media hospitality is anything like the Outback Bowl's, then they will be serving salad and gyros, not donuts. Mmmmm ... donuts. As for the teams, Cornell has indeed looked stellar this season, and will advance out of the regional even though MSU-Mankato - the Maver- icks - is possibly the best team from the greater Mankato area. Their goalie, Dave LeNeveu, has been noth- ing short of awesome all year. The first-round game between Ohio State and Boston College pits two of my least favorite sports programs against each other. I'm making my prediction based on sports karma, which dictates that the Buckeyes' will not be awarded any more bullshit calls for a while. Advantage: Eagles. The Northeast Regional is com- prised of Harvard, Boston University, St. Cloud State and New Hampshire. The unranked Huskies of St. Cloud will find New Hampshire to be a bit too much. But this region's other game - between Harvard and B.U. - pits two Beanpot powers against each other in big-time brawl, Boston style (although the game is actually being played in Worcester - "$1.25, sir"). Advantage goes to B.U. They're going to be celebrating on Commonwealth Avenue - at least until the Terriers have to match up with New Hamp- shire. B.U. won two previous meetings with Harvard, including the semifinals of the Beanpot. The Crimson can get back to their Nietzsche and nuclear physics and watch the rest of the tour- nament on the Deuce. Our regional - the Midwest - might be the fiercest. Wayne State makes a short trip to Ann Arbor to join Colorado College, Maine and our own Maize and Blue. Michigan should be a two seed, but instead ends up playing the Black Bears of Maine, who should be a one seed. It will take all the magic of Yost to propel the Wolverines out of this bracket and onward to Buffalo, N.Y. for the Frozen Four, especially when we match up with Colorado Col- lege. The Tigers are arguably the elite team in the country this year, and will have no problem with Wayne State. Forward Peter Sejna and the Tigers may even have enough to win it all. In the West, No. 1 seed Minnesota hosts North Dakota, CCHA Tourna- ment runner-up Ferris State and Mer- cyhurst. The Mariucci Center will be rockin' after the Gophers handle Mer- cyhurst and face either Ferris State or the Fighting Sioux. Look for Minneso- ta to advance in its pursuit to put together back-to-back championships. So will Michigan make champions of us all, or will it yet again find the national competition to be just too much to handle? The 16-team bracket 0 At Ernst & Young everything revolves around our people. 0 0 Here, you will be listened to, respected, trusted and recognized for your achievements. We not only value your individuality and what it can bring to our firm, we encourage it. And we give you challenging opportunities so you feel empowered to succed. Welcome to our world. FORTUNE" IAAl DrOCT .:a I 1111 tII1 3: '